Defense Minister Ahn vows to complete wartime operational control transfer roadmap this year

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back laid out 13 priority tasks for the second half of the year, covering the recovery of wartime operational control, the purge of insurrection-linked personnel, the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, improvements to military service conditions, a restructuring toward a quasi-four-service system, the establishment of a unified military academy, the development of a smart armed forces, and the relocation of the Gwangju military airport, among others.

Speaking at a Ministry of National Defense briefing held Wednesday at the Cheong Wa Dae guest house and presided over by President Lee Jae Myung, Ahn said the ministry would "carry out all reform tasks without fail so as not to miss the golden window of opportunity to build a South Korea that is truly irreplaceable."

He said the ministry had "concentrated all its capabilities on laying the groundwork for self-reliant defense — recovering wartime operational control, building a nuclear-powered submarine, and restructuring the military — so that we can defend the Republic of Korea on our own."

On the insurrection purge, Ahn said internal investigations and intensive audits had resulted in personnel, disciplinary and criminal measures against roughly 200 individuals. He also said the Defense Security Command had been dissolved and replaced by a new Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters as part of a broader reform of military intelligence agencies.

On the recovery of wartime operational control, Ahn said high-level Korea-US consultations — including defense ministerial talks and the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue — had built a shared understanding on the transfer. He said the ministry would complete the transfer roadmap in the second half of the year and, once Full Operational Capability verification concludes at the 58th Security Consultative Meeting, would recommend a timeline for the transfer.

The ministry also plans to permanently establish the Combined Special Operations Component Command before the end of the year and to make the remaining component commands permanent next year, building a six-component combined command structure — one that exists nowhere else in the world — to further solidify the combined defense posture.

On the nuclear-powered submarine program, Ahn outlined plans to enact special legislation this year to provide a legal foundation for the project, following the "Basic Plan for the Development of a Republic of Korea Nuclear-Powered Submarine" announced in May. The ministry will also continue consultations with the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency on securing nuclear fuel.

To upgrade the Korea three-axis system, Ahn said the ministry would aggressively secure funding in the second half of the year while refining operational concepts and improving weapons system performance, dramatically strengthening the capability to deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

"We will also accelerate the development of low-cost, high-efficiency advanced weapons such as high-powered laser-based systems for intercepting rockets, drones and missiles," he said, adding that the ministry would integrate these with the existing Korea Air and Missile Defense system to upgrade a multi-layered defense capability able to respond at all altitudes — low, medium and high.

To improve military service conditions, the ministry plans to raise the base pay for a first-step junior sergeant to 40 million won ($28,000) by 2029 and to strengthen residential support, including the development of hub-area housing complexes for military personnel.

On the Marine Corps' quasi-four-service restructuring, Ahn said the ministry would amend the Military Organization Act this year to gradually transfer operational control of the 1st and 2nd Marine divisions to the Marine Corps. He said the Marine Corps Operations Headquarters would be organized in early 2027, with the Marine Operations Command established by late 2028 to complete the foundation for the quasi-four-service structure.

Regarding the establishment of a unified military academy, the ministry plans to hold a public hearing in August to gather opinions from the military and civilian communities before announcing a detailed plan, and will also pursue legislation for the academy's establishment within the year.

Ahn said the ministry would draw up a plan to adjust the civilian control line to ease the burden on residents in border areas who have long been excluded from regional development due to military facility regulations, while ensuring operational conditions are maintained. Protected zones will be lifted sequentially following an operational review in the second half of the year, with phased adjustments to the civilian control line beginning in 2027 after supplementary control measures are put in place.

To build a smart armed forces, the ministry will push to accelerate defense AI adoption and enact a Defense Advanced Force Development Act.

On the Gwangju military airport relocation project, Ahn said the ministry had secured momentum for regional development by selecting Muan as the preliminary relocation candidate site through consultations among six parties — civilian, government and military — and formally launching the project.

"We will work with relevant agencies to flesh out support programs and select the final relocation site before the end of the year," he said, adding that the ministry would manage the process to prevent any security gap while advancing the Muan relocation on schedule to support the government's mega-project initiative with speed.